In my first installment of a Wood, Copper and White Christmas last week, I gave you an idea for a starter to serve to your vegetarian guests on Christmas day. This week, I give you no less than three recipes!The first one is a lovely breakfast idea to start Christmas Day on the healthy path knowing the day will be full of delicious indulgence. This grilled grapefruit with honey and juniper berries is very refreshing. The tartness of juniper berries and bitterness of grapefruits is well balanced with the sweetness of the honey.If you feel like you need more than half a grapefruit to start the day and some energy to open your presents, you can also add those wonderful cranberry and white chocolate mini muffins I posted on the blog last year.

I absolutely love eating a side dish of savoury chestnuts with the main course on Christmas day, be it turkey, capon, guinea fowl or chicken. The flavour of chestnuts instantly reminds me of Christmas day. I would usually eat them plain just sauteed in a bit of butter and seasoned with a tiny bit of salt. This year, I came up with a little twist for my side of chestnuts and decided to add a few slivers of prosciutto ham and some fresh rosemary. The flavours really compliment each others. Chestnuts can be found precooked in small packs or large cans. You could also get a bunch of fresh ones and cook them yourself. My grandparents are lucky enough to live close by to a small valley full of chestnut trees and every time I visit, be it Winter or Summer, some precooked chestnuts are taken out of the freezer and simply sauteed in butter for my biggest enjoyment.Another thing that goes well with the main course on Christmas day is a side dish of mushrooms. The ones I made for this recipe are cooked with a bit of cognac and cream. The cognac can be replaced by another type of alcohol if needed. I would suggest either brandy or Port wine as a complimentary choice.And to go with the colour theme, my Christmas tree this year (I used the same last year) consists of a lovely bunch of pussy willow branches to which I have attached a few white ornaments and some copper cookie cutters (yes, cookie cutters attached with a little string are a lovely Christmas tree ornament idea).Do you try unusual things when you celebrate Christmas? Be it different types of food or something else than a traditional Christmas tree?

Grilled Grapefruit with Juniper Berries and Honey Recipe (Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Dairy Free)Ingredients (serves 4)2 grapefruits8 teaspoons runny honey1 teaspoon juniper berries1. Preheat the oven grill.Cut the grapefruits in halves. Using a small sharp knife, cut out the grapefruit sections in the halves. Pour evenly 2 teaspoons of honey on each grapefruit half. With the back of a small spoon, spread the honey and help it run a bit between the grapefruit sections.2. Crush the juniper berries. To do so, I use a pestle and mortar. If you do not own one, place the juniper berries in a small sandwich bag, crush them with a rolling pin. Then, chop them finely on a cutting board.Sprinkle the crushed juniper berries evenly over each grapefruit half.3. Place the grapefruit halves on a baking tray. Grill for 5 minutes.Serve in individual bowls for breakfast. The taste of the juniper berries is tart but nicely balanced with the sweetness of the honey. This dish is really refreshing to have first thing in the morning, especially on Christmas day when you know there will be a lot of rich food enjoyed throughout the day.

Chestnuts with Prosciutto Ham and Fresh Rosemary Recipe (Gluten Free)Ingredients (serve 4)1 tablespoon butter25g prosciutto ham (shredded)250g chestnuts (peeled and boiled; I buy them precooked and vacuum-packed in small portions)1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemaryPlace a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add one tablespoon of butter. When the pan is hot and the butter has melted (it should be bubbling lightly), add the slivers of prosciutto ham and fry them up for 1 or two minutes. Add in the chestnuts and cook for 5 minutes, stirring every now and then. Sprinkle the rosemary at the end and stir well, cooking for an extra 30 seconds.Serve as an accompaniment to roasted poultry on Christmas day. Note i do not add any extra seasoning to this dish as the prosciutto ham is salty enough.

Mushrooms with Cognac and Cream Recipe (Vegetarian, Gluten Free)Ingredients (serves 4)1 tablespoon butter1 finely chopped shallot250g sliced mushrooms20ml cognac (or brandy)50ml creamsalt, pepper1. Place a medium size frying pan over a medium heat and add one tablespoon of butter. When the pan is hot and the butter is bubbling nicely, add the mushroom slices and the finely chopped shallot. Toss them around for 5 minutes, then add the cognac. Stir well and cook for 3 minutes.2. Add the cream, stir and cook for another 5 minutes until the liquid has reduced and there are only 1 or 2 tablespoons left of it.Season with salt and pepper.Serve as a side dish on Christmas day (or anytime you feel like it when mushrooms are in season, it is really lovely served on a nice piece of toasted crusty bread).Bon appétit!

If I was back in France at my parents', I know it would also be kept traditional (with probably a delicious chocolate Christmas log). I love changing theme for the tree (pussy willow branches this year) too :) the gingerbread ornaments sound great Jess!

Wow, both the grapefruit and mushroom recipes sound wonderful and the little tarts in your previous post too. I'm so pleased to have stumbled across your lovely blog and I'm delighted to be following alomg by email now!
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